Memphis Tigers head football coach Mike Norvell pats Darrell Henderson on the back.
During Monday’s media luncheon, Memphis Tigers’ football head coach Mike Norvell spoke with the media about the upcoming spring practices.
Norvell shared his excitement about this Saturday’s first spring practice and said he looks forward to the competition.
“It’s truly just the beginning,†Norvell said. “It gives us a sense of what our identity is and what we want to build it to be. We’ve added a lot of depth through recruiting so that there will be a competition at every position. It’s going to be a very competitive spring.â€
A big cause for the Tigers’ need for competition is the departures of eight seniors and draft hopefuls following last season’s 8-6 finish, the most losses of Norvell’s three-season tenure. Some of the most notable of these departures include running back Darrell Henderson, do-it-all player Tony Pollard and left tackle Trevon Tate.
All three players were participants in this year’s NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month. Norvell said he and a couple of coaches on his staff traveled to Indianapolis to support their former players and were pleased by the impressions the trio made.
“Those guys have represented us extremely well,†Norvell said. “We knew that from what they’ve been able to do on the field, but also how they’ve been presenting themselves and how they’re representing Memphis. I had three different offensive coordinators who came up to me and said that our guys’ interviews were some of the best interviews they’d had at that point.â€
Fortunately for the Tigers, even with their slight roster turnover they still have starting quarterback Brady White. White passed for 3,296 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first season with Memphis. Even with his productive season and the support of his head coach, Norvell still wants to see growth from his signal caller.
“I want to see him grow as a player in all areas,†Norvell said. “I think he did a really nice job as a first year starting quarterback, but you can see even in the off-season the confidence that he has. When you enter a program at that position, it’s a challenge at times. I thought he performed at a very high level, but there are some levels where he’s going to improve and will continue to improve. You see that confidence building and I want to see that continue into the future.â€
With all of Norvell’s success at the University of Memphis, he has been a popular name brought up when Power Five teams have head coaching vacancies. For the past two seasons, it was rumored Norvell would eventually take one of those jobs, but instead he reaffirmed his commitment to the University after signing a five-year $13 million contract extension back in February. When asked why he decided to re-sign, he shared his desire to remain in Memphis.
“I love being here,†Norvell said. “I love this community. I think that this community has embraced our coaching staff, our program and our families. There’s always going to be speculation about what people think you could do or should do, but at the end of the day this is life. Honestly, I believe that the job I have is one of the best in the country and I say that a lot and people hear that a lot, but I truly mean it.â€
